Code Adam

Do any of you know how much frantic worry and embarrassment parents feel when they have to go to customer service at Wal-Mart and ask them to announce your missing child? Well, unfortunately I do.

I should know by now, through MANY bad experiences, that I should never take Jason to Wal-Mart during his nap time. It seems I had not learned and decided to make a trip while Parker was at school. Well, I couldn't find a cart that buckled in both Liesel and Jason and since I was just picking up a few things I figured I could brave not having Jason strapped in. He was actually really good and sat in the back of the cart for almost the whole time. The last thing on my list was bananas. He wanted to climb out and walk. I told him to hold on to the side of the cart while we walked, which he did. He helped me choose a bunch of bananas and then he started running toward the check out. I called to him and followed him with my eyes to see where he was going. He ran through some of the check out stands and over to the drinking fountains by customer service. I hurried over there, but couldn't see him anywhere. I walked back and forth a minute scanning the store. It had only been a minute or two, but I was starting to worry that he had run outside into the parking lot. I still couldn't see any trace of him, so I walked over to customer service. I described my little runaway and heard her announce over the loud speaker, "We have a Code Adam. It is a little 2 1/2 year old boy in a lime green shirt and navy shorts." Less than 30 seconds later, an employee brought him over and said that he had been in the men's bathroom. I am so grateful he was found so quickly! I hugged him tightly and didn't let him out of my arms as I checked out and walked out to the car. I tried to help him understand how worried I had been and that he should never run away from me again. (Sigh)...if only he listens.